Overview of EPA's State Indoor Radon Grants:
House Report 114-170
Exposure to radon causes an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually. Radon is the second-leading
cause of lung cancer after smoking. Effective, affordable measures to reduce indoor radon are available and,
when employed, can prevent radon-induced lung cancer and save lives. For nearly 30 years, the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency's (EPA or Agency) State Indoor Radon Grants (SIRG) program has supported state
and tribal efforts to reduce radon-related lung cancer. This collaborative partnership between the states, tribes
and EPA is critical in reducing radon risk and saving lives. States and tribes are financial partners in the
SIRG program, matching at least 40 percent of the federal funds received. About 75 percent of state programs
have reported they would shut down or significantly curtail their radon program in the absence of EPA grants.
As detailed in this summary report, state and
tribal radon programs are making significant
progress in implementing Congressional
direction to the Agency with regard to use of
SIRG funds. Despite this important progress,
the radon problem in the United States
continues to be a serious public health issue.
State and tribal radon programs remain vital
to national efforts aimed at reducing radon
risk and complement the work of the National
Radon Action Plan partners. (See the overview
of the National Radon Action Plan to the
right.) About 7 million homes are estimated to
have levels of radon above the EPA action
level. Housing construction during the last
25 years has contributed a significant number
of homes with elevated radon levels.
FY16 Appropriation & Accompanying House Report
Congress appropriated $8,051 million for the SIRG program in FY2016 ($7,978 million after rescission). This
appropriation was accompanied by House Report 114-170, which contained several recommendations
specific to the application of SIRG funds in three broad areas:
1.	Awareness, education and outreach to the medical community and inclusion of radon within
state cancer control plans.
2.	Testing and remediation of schools in high-risk radon areas (presumed to be Zone 1 or the state
equivalent).
3.	Education and technical support related to industry best practices and standards and the adoption of
radon-related guidelines in building codes.
National Radon Action Plan
This Plan represents a collaborative effort among
11 organizations dedicated to eliminating avoidable radon-
induced lung cancer in the United States, with the near-term
goal of reducing radon risk in 5 million homes and saving
3,200 lives annually by 2020. Led by the American Lung
Association, the Plan is aimed at sustainably incorporating
radon testing, radon mitigation and radon-resistant
construction into systems that govern purchasing, financing,
constructing, and renovating homes and other buildings. The
Plan builds on earlier federal action. View the plan at
www.radonleaders.org/resources/nationalradonactionplan.
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Overview of EPA's State Indoor Radon Grants: House Report 114-170
EPA's Response
In the spring of 2016, the EPA Headquarters radon program took several steps to implement the House
Report language, including:
•	Senior and mid-management level meetings with EPA Regional
offices to carefully review the House Report recommendations
and detail implementation options.
•	A memorandum to Regional program managers providing a
summary of the recommendations found in House Report 114-
170 and outlining requirements on Regional reporting of their
states' implementation of the language.
•	Issuance to EPA Regional offices of a special grant Term and
Condition requiring SIRG states and tribes to report on progress
toward implementing House Report language.
States and tribes reported work planned or already in progress in five activity areas aligned with EPA's radon-
related strategic goals and in response to House Report 114-170:
1.	Promoting awareness about radon exposure to the
medical community (Medical).
2.	Including radon in state cancer control plans (CCPs).
3.	Testing for and remediating radon in schools (Schools)
in high-risk radon areas.
4.	Providing continuing education (CE) and technical
support (Support).
5.	Including radon-reduction strategies in state and local
building codes (Industry Codes).
Overall Findings
After receiving responses from states and tribes, EPA examined the planned and in-progress activities and
coded them into three categories. If a state or tribe had achieved actions with high potential for risk
reduction, the response was coded as "major." Actions that had been initiated but were in early stages and
had potential for radon risk reduction were coded as "minor." If no plans had been made within a certain
area, the response was coded as "none." The summary of the states' and tribes' responses tells a powerful
story of risk reduction using SIRG funds in alignment with House Report language. The SIRG program
received 49 responses describing state and tribal efforts that address the key areas identified in House
Report 114-170, representing a response rate of 96 percent. Significantly, the program found that all EPA
Regions addressed all of the components of the House Report language in at least one of their state or
tribal programs.
The House Report
recommendations were considered
in the context of the Indoor Radon
Abatement Act's statutory
priorities and direction and the
Office of Air and Radiation National
Program Manager Guidance for
FY 2016-2017. In addition,
consideration was given to states'
and tribes' current work plans,
capabilities and capacities.
The primary aim of EPA's radon program is
to protect public health, especially the
health of families, by reducing the risk from
radon exposure. Major actions are those
that directly result in expanded radon
testing of existing homes, mitigation of high
radon levels within those homes, and
radon-resistant new construction.
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Overview of EPA'sState Indoor Radon Grants: House Report 114-170
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
Pueblo of Pojoaque
Map showing states (blue) and tribes (called out) that received FY16 SIRG funding.
Key Take-Aways
• All of the 46 states (including the District of Columbia) that received FY16 SIRG funding responded. Of the
six tribes that received FY16 SIRG funding, three (50%) responded.
Bad River Band of the Lake Superior
Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Jicarilla Apache Nation
Navajo Nation
Eastern Shawnee
Tribe of Oklahoma
•	A majority of reporting grantees (63%, 31 out of 49) performed major actions to support efforts toward
reducing radon exposure in schools and building new schools with radon-reducing features.
•	74% of the states and tribes (36 out of 49) that responded develop and disseminate educational
materials and/or engage in outreach events for medical professionals; 22% (11 out of 49) provide or
distribute free or low-cost radon test kits through the medical community.
•	A vast majority (94%, 46 out of 49) of the grantees that responded are undertaking activities to provide
continuing education and technical support, representing a significant investment area among SIRG-
funded programs.
•	Of the responding grantees, 27% (13 out of 49) do not have activities to include radon-reduction
strategies in state and local building codes; this area provides an opportunity for increased emphasis and
growth.
•	As a result of grantee efforts, 84% (41 out of 49) of the state cancer control plans mention radon;
24% (12 out of 49) of these include strategies aimed specifically at reducing radon risk.
Tribes receiving SIRG funding continue to excel in the area of testing for and remediating radon in schools in
high-risk radon areas, with all three reporting tribes conducting major activities in this area.
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Overview of EPA's State Indoor Radon Grants: House Report 114-170
The below graph highlights the number of states and tribes undertaking actions to reduce radon exposure
risk in each of the activity areas identified in House Report 114-170.
None
¦ Minor
Medical
Schools CE & Support Industry
Codes
State and Tribal Activities Within Activity Areas (n = 49)
Spotlight: Successful Approaches for Reducing Radon Risk
This section showcases current, major activities funded at least in part by EPA's SIRG program in FY16 that
states and tribes are undertaking in alignment with the House Report language.
Education and outreach to the medical community:
•	Nevada partners with the Nevada Nurses Association to offer continuing education credits. The state
also co-hosted a radon meeting that provided an education and networking forum for medical personnel
and other stakeholders.
•	Rhode Island partners with hospitals and national, state and local cancer coalitions to educate medical
personnel. The state program also provides the medical community with information about radon
reported in air measurements in residential and public buildings.
•	The Minnesota Department of Health focuses on Commission on CCancer-accredited hospitals as a
source of radon education and training for patients and their families.
Inclusion of radon in state cancer control plans:
•	The Iowa Cancer Control Plan supports radon-resistant new construction, encourages the use of qualified
mitigators, advocates for the testing and mitigation of rental housing, and supports financial assistance
and incentives for radon mitigation. The plan also calls for advocacy for comprehensive legislation
requiring radon-resistant new construction and encouragement of radon testing before all home sales.
•	Kentucky's state cancer control plan includes radon in one of its four cancer-prevention goals related to
environmental carcinogens. This goal includes three specific objectives in seven categories that focus on
radon.
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Overview of EPA's State Indoor Radon Grants: House Report 114-170
Testing and remediation of schools in high-risk radon areas:
•	Because parts of the Navajo Nation have elevated radon levels and legacy uranium mining sites, the
Nation encourages public and private radon testing and plans to test Navajo Nation Head Start and
Navajo child care and development facilities.
Continuing education and technical support:
•	Colorado's radon program educates state regulatory agencies and legislative representatives, provides
technical information to customers, and communicates with all the state's radon measurement and
mitigation contractors. The program also assisted with the writing and coordination of a bill to
implement a statewide low-income mitigation assistance program.
•	The Nebraska radon program promotes radon mitigation by qualified professionals and manages a
website for the pubic on proper radon mitigation.
Adoption of radon-reduction strategies in building codes and construction:
•	The Illinois Radon Resistant Construction Act (RRCA) mandates that all new one- and two-family
dwellings be built using radon-resistant construction techniques. The Illinois Emergency Management
Agency promotes installation of active radon mitigation systems during new home construction and is
developing a partnership with local health departments to draft ordinances that include local code
official inspection and compliance with the RRCA.
•	Minnesota's state radon program works with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to
confirm that new building codes were effective, needed and reasonable. The state helps to ensure code
implementation and has found that radon-resistant new construction techniques have reduced indoor
radon concentrations by 40% compared to previous construction techniques.
Moving Forward
The responses indicate that states and tribes are making significant
progress in addressing the key areas identified in the House Report
language. States and tribes will report in September 2018 on activities
conducted under FY17 SIRG funding.
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